International Olympic Committee praises PyeongChang preparations

16 March 2016

The International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 has wrapped up its sixth visit confident that PyeongChang 2018 is moving in the right direction as Games preparations intensify in the final two years.

At a closing news conference with PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee president Yang-ho Cho, Coordination Commission chair Gunilla Lindberg expressed satisfaction with construction progress at competition venues and congratulated Games organisers for the success of early test events.

The first round of recent test events — the Alpine World Cup, the Snowboard World Cup and the Freestyle Ski World Cup — won praise from athletes and positive reviews from technical experts.

The number of events and the workload for PyeongChang 2018 will soon increase dramatically, with 24 test events set for the next winter sports season.

The first test event, the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating, is scheduled for December at the new Gangneung Ice Arena.

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Lindberg said: “There is still a lot of work to do, but PyeongChang 2018 is on track to deliver great Olympic Winter Games for Korea and the world.

“We are pleased with what we have seen and heard during our visit.”

The Coordination Commission’s three-day visit included a series of venue visits and discussions with POCOG on all aspects of Games preparations, including the athlete experience, legacy planning, sustainability and transport, as well as plans for the Paralympic Games.

POCOG president Cho said: “This Coordination Commission meeting has been a very productive few days for all of us, sharing constructive feedback and expertise.

“As we move into the critical operational phase of the Games, I would like to thank the IOC and International Federations for their continued guidance and support.

“The strong partnership that we share is instrumental to our success.”

He added: “As we have seen with our first test events, our continued cooperation is essential to hosting great Games.

“With our close cooperation, we will ensure great Olympics and Paralympics in 2018.”